Author's note: Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon: Season 3. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review and give criticism if you find it necessary. Sorry if there's grammar or spelling errors.
Becoming the Hunted: Chapter II
"Where are we going exactly?" Rika asked, aboard Kyubbimon's back.
"Yeah, tell us, Cheetahmon. Not all of us enjoy stumbling through this fog to an unknown location." Ryo said.
Blue-gray orbs glowed in the dense silver fog. "We are here."
The fog instantly began to vanish to reveal a series of caves. A chilling series of howls sent shivers down the tamers' backs.
"Wolfmon, I have brought the tamers." Cheetahmon shouted over the howls.
Kyubbimon tensed as a shadowy four-legged figure mingled amongst some of the remaining fog.
"Are these the humans we've been waiting for? It took them long enough." A fox, white in color, walking on all fours, came towards the tamers. She sat and scratched an ear idly with a back leg.
A odd looking wolf followed, a collie at his side. "Welcome, tamers. Excuse Vixenmon's complaint. We have all been anxious to have you begin in aiding us once more. I am Wolfmon. My tamer is-"
An arrow surrounded by fire cut off Wolfmon as it struck near Kyubbimon's forepaws. Kyubbimon instantly backed up and Ryo, as well as Henry, tensed.
"Water Spout!" A swirl of water formed around Rotamon's gloved fist, dousing the arrow.
"Who shot that?" Ryo demanded.
"I did. You should be prepared for surprises, Legendary Tamer. You, of all people, should be on alert. You were here longest." A figure jumped from one of the trees, landing beside Wolfmon and the collie noiselessly. A quiver of arrows was strapped to her back. She held a bow in one hand.
"Who are you?" Henry asked.
"Kila... is that you? You've.... changed." Ryo murmured, taking a step closer.
The girl's eyes blazed as she held up a gloved hand. Her hand glowed with blue light.
Ryo leapt back just in time to dodge a barrage of ice needles.
Fire rings flew from her hands, scattering the tamers.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Terriermon exclaimed. He narrowly missed a fireball that would've caught his ear on fire.
"You've got some attitude. What computer virus got in your system?" Rika asked, conveniently forgetting her once well-known icy personality that had earned her the nickname of "Ice Queen."
Kila fired another arrow, this one crackled with electricity that struck where Kyubbimon had been standing moments before. She sent another electrifying one in Lina's direction.
Fortunately, Rotamon and a Barrier Modify card saved them both.
"Kila, stop this at once. Do not attack them." Wolfmon exclaimed.
The girl stopped her assault but remained in a fighting stance, arrow on her bowstring, ready to fire.
"Greetings, Tamers. I hope you will be formidable allies in this upcoming battle. Get yourselves settled. I'm going to go and fish for a little." Kila said, placing the arrow back in her quiver and slung the bow over her back. She walked away, leaving the tamers in an awed silence, with Guardian by her side.
"Alright, what's her deal?" Rika asked Cheetahmon.
The spotted cat looked at Wolfmon, who shook his head. "In good time, Tamers. Go, and settle in. You just have to understand Kila is not accustomed to humans. Battle has hardened her heart. She hates humans. For what they- Well, that's a long story. I'd prefer she tell you. Now, she will be back soon with your dinner." Wolfmon explained. He turned and headed in the direction Kila had gone.
"I prefer to catch my own fish. Keeps me in good practice. These claws have been in need of it for sometime. Anyone else want to come with me?" Rotamon asked.
"We aren't much for fish catching. You go on without us." Lina encouraged.
Rotamon did not hesitate. "Wait up, Wolfmon."
Rika got off of Kyubbimon's back. "Let's go and put our stuff down and get the low down on this Huntress lady."
Henry followed Rika, Kyubbimon, and Lina to one of the caves that Vixenmon led them to. He stopped when he saw Ryo look off into the trees. He re-traced his steps and stood beside Ryo. "What is it?"
"Kila...what's happened to you?" Ryo murmured, seeming not to even be looking at anything in particular.
"When did you know her?" Henry asked.
"When I first came to the DigiWorld, I didn't really know my way around..." Ryo began recalling every detail about how he had met the young warrior.
***
"Damn it, Cyberdramon. Do we have to walk through this simmering desert? I'm baking as we speak." Ryo Akiyama had his shirt draped over his head, trying to keep the sun from melting his eyes. He already had a bad case of sunburn, leaving him quite irritable.
Cyberdramon walked beside his tamer. "Two more days," the digimon grunted.
Ryo wiped the sweat from his dripping face. "Two...days... I can... last that..." He panted. His vision blurred and blackened as he passed out from the heat, crumpling to the ground.
Cyberdramon didn't know what he should do. He had heard rumors of a girl.
A human like Ryo that lived nearby. She was an awesome warrior and she would aid any digimon. Surely she would assist him and his tamer.
Ryo was human after all and he obviously would die if he didn't get out of this sun immediately.
And, Cyberdramon was in no condition to fly his tamer as well as himself to this girl. The desert's heat had affected him as well. "I will fly to get help. There is no other option." The digimon placed the shirt underneath Ryo, allowing his chest to escape the burning grains of sand. He then took to the air.
***
Where am I? Ryo wondered. He wandered through a shaded forest, a breeze riffling through his brown hair. This is much better than the desert, Ryo decided as he walked. Cyberdramon was no where in sight.
"Drink." A voice said.
For a moment, Ryo could've sworn the breeze had spoken to him. Drink what? Ryo wondered.
"You won't get better if you don't drink this. C'mon, wake up and drink it." The wind ordered him.
Just ahead of him, there was a cup floating in midair.
This dream is getting ridiculous. First, the wind's talking to me. Then, this cup's in front of me. What next? Maybe Cyberdramon will show up or something... Ryo mused.
"Cyberdramon, what's your tamer's name? Ryo? Okay. Ryo, I'm a friend. Please, wake up..." The wind sounded... female?
***
Ryo struggled to force his eyelids open. He was laying on a... blanket? Yeah, no ground was this soft. No painful sun tried to sear his eyeballs either. The tamer was actually... cool. A blurry figure was inches from his face.
"Ryo? Wake up... please..." The voice came from the blur, pleading, with a hint of tears.
Cerulean blue eyes met black, kind ones. Ryo struggled to sit up but something stopped him. He looked down to see the girl's palm was flat against his chest, holding him down.
"Drink this. It'll help." She spoke gently to him. In her hand was a cup, the liquid smelled strong. The girl propped his head up in the crook of her arm so he'd be able to drink. His upper body was in her lap.
Ryo took the cup, smelling it cautiously. He took a sip. It tasted like herbal tea, and a strong herbal tea at that.
"Drink the rest." The girl coaxed.
Ryo did as he was told.
The girl took the cup from his weak fingers. She took a cloth from his forehead and soaked it in a bucket.
The water felt good on his skin. He relaxed completely, trusting this strange girl. Fingertips brushed against his face. Their touch was soft.
"I thought I was going to lose you. By the time I had found you, it had almost been too late. You had a horrible case of sunburn and most of your skin was raw from direct heat. I didn't know if you were going to wake up. You've been unconscious for days now." The fingers ran across his face, their touch gentle and soft.
"Cyberdramon?" Ryo asked in a cracked whisper.
A finger pressed lightly against his lips. "He is recovering from his own fatigue. Rest now, Ryo."
"N....name?" He croaked.
"Kila. That is my name." The girl said.
If Ryo had been fully awake, he would've fallen in love for sure. This girl had saved his life. He closed his eyes wearily instead and slept.
***
Ryo woke up. He was strong enough to sit up, stretching his sore muscles. His shirt was neatly folded, serving him as a pillow. Ryo looked around at his surroundings. He was in a cave and he could see Cyberdramon resting against one of the cave's walls. There was a fire crackling near the mouth of the cave. Something smelled good. He could see the back of a girl's head. Kila, was that her name? She turned two fish over the flames. His blanket moved and her head turned.
"Ryo, you're awake. Are you hungry?" Kila asked with a pretty smile.
"Yeah, would you mind if I ate?" Ryo asked.
Kila came and sat beside him. "Fish meat on a stick? There's water and fruit too. These potatoes are good too. Eat up. You'll be able to restore your strength."
Ryo took a bite of the potato. It tasted different than a potato should. "It takes like...chicken."
Kila smiled. "Yes, and these lighter ones taste like broccoli. It's quite good with this over top." There was some sort of liquid drizzled over the top.
Ryo took a bite. "Just like broccoli and cheese. And this grilled fish is great." He ate hungrily, gladly accepting more food when it was offered. He then noticed Kila was watching him, there was only a small bite taken out of her own fish.
"Keep eating. I'm glad you're well enough. It's been three days since you've been awake last. Eat all you want. Cyberdramon ate and fell asleep just before you woke up." Kila said, still smiling.
"You saved my life. I owe you. And, thanks for taking care of me and offering your home and food to me." Ryo said between mouthfuls.
Kila patted his arm. "It was a pleasure." Two creatures that looked like large dogs came into the cave, dragging food behind them. "They're back. Wolfmon, Guar, our guest is awake."
One of the dogs looked like a collie. The other was definitely not a dog. He resembled a wolf. A blue one with horns on his head and white paws, chest, and muzzle.
"Hello, Ryo. I can see you're hungry." Wolfmon said.
"This fruit is good too. Plenty of good nutrients in them." Kila said, offering him a half of a melon, the inside colored orange.
Ryo accepted it and continued eating as Kila fed Guar some chopped fish pieces. Wolfmon ate some of the dark colored potatoes quickly and then circled, laying beside Kila. Ryo looked at Kila, observing the girl as he ate.
Kila had black hair that reached to the middle of her back, tan skin, black colored eyes, and an assortment of weapons on her belt or nearby. There was a silver D-Ark on her belt as well.
"Are all those weapons really necessary?" Ryo asked after he had finished eating.
"It's dangerous here. No weapons. No protection. Even though Wolfmon is a champion digimon, if he ever got injured... there'd be no hope. Better to be prepared then to be dead." Kila said simply. She then took the time to introduce her partner digimon as well as her collie, his name was Guardian.
Ryo yawned and rubbed his eyes.
Kila chuckled. "Good night, Ryo." She walked back to the fire, dousing the flames slightly with a hand gesture and laid out a blanket before covering herself with another. The fire flickered, giving the cave a dim glow. "Sleep well and sweet dreams." She murmured as she closed her eyes.
Ryo didn't sleep. He tossed and turned restlessly, laying on his side until finally, he felt something settles against his back. He slid over before laying on his back to see what had brushed against him. He saw dark hair peeking out from under the blanket. Her head was pillowed against the collie's bulk. Ryo grinned and was able to fall asleep.
***
"After that, I stayed with her for a couple weeks. Soon after, I met Rika, Kazu, and Kenta. And, that's my story about her. She's changed a lot." Ryo murmured. Rika...that was the first time I met her...and it changed me life... about how I feel and...
"Certain events change people forever. Calumon's been telling me all about it." Rika said, coming out of one of the caves, the white and purple pint-size digimon floated along beside her, aloft by his white ears. Her voice instantly broke Ryo's train of thought.
"It's not fair. She was betrayed by her own mother, the Huntress, and-" Calumon paused as he saw all of the tamers' faces tighten.
"The Huntress's-"
"Daughter?!" Rika finished Henry's thought.
Calumon landed, muttering to himself. "I shouldn't have told them... Kila's going to be so upset... Well, not really, but-"
A noise broke the tense silence. Kila came out of the forest, Wolfmon, Rotamon, and the collie with her. "Hungry?" She asked quizzically.
***
Lina had found another digimon to make conversation with. Cheetahmon seemed content on telling her what they would be doing until their confrontation with the Huntress.
"You'll be traveling to Piximon's home tomorrow. He's the most skilled in elemental magic which is something any human can learn. If anything would happen to your partners, you will be needing to defend yourselves. Certain people are strongly attuned to certain elements. Kila was fortunate enough to be able to use all elements. She could cause a hurricane filled with bolts of lighting, and fire, as well as ice crystals, tornadoes of water, and towering earth pillars to destroy any enemy. You'll probably be training separately for at least a month. After, you will train all together, using elements as one. You'll be placed in different environments and taught how to use everything within to be worthy opponents." The cat explained.
"I wonder if what elemental I'll be good with." Lina wondered aloud.
"Have you ever had a specific bond with the one of the forces of nature?" Cheetahmon asked.
Instantly, an event came to mind.
"This is your first time watching the sun rise over the ocean. It'll be beautiful." Lina's mother said.
Lina ran fingers through her frizzy hair. Her knees were shaking as she watched fog settle over the water. She instantly felt claustrophobic. This boat wouldn't protect her from pounding waves of the ocean. A pair of strong hands lifted the five year old onto her father's hip.
"Can you see the colors from the sun, Lina?" Her father asked.
Lina squinted into the thick swirling fog. "Papa, I'm scared. Please take us back in!" The girl sobbed.
Her mother took the little girl into her arms as she stroked her back. "We can go back in. If that's what you want." Her mother soothed.
Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Sheets of rain poured down from the sky. The ocean waves crashed into the boat.
Lina screamed as a towering wave hit her mother, separating the two and knocking the young child into the raging sea. "Mama! Save me!" Her voice was drowned out by the roaring waves. The five year old tried to stay above the water. She was pushed under and spiraled into the depths of the ocean.
***
"She's alive!" Her mother said joyfully.
Lina woke slowly, as if from a long and deep sleep. Her nose was filled with the smell of ocean water and clean air.
Her father lifted her into his arms, hugging her. "Lina, the ocean must love you very much. It saved your life."
Lina looked at her father in disbelief. She'd nearly drowned, hadn't she?
"After you were torn from my arms and thrown into the water, the fog began to clear and we searched the water for you. We feared we'd lost you but suddenly, you were thrust right out of the water and we were able to get you back onto the boat. We're getting near the pier. We're going to go eat lunch then, alright, sweetheart?" Her mother explained.
Lina nodded slowly. The ocean had saved her life.
***
"Perhaps water is what you will be able to work with best." Cheetahmon suggested.
"Lina! We've got fish!" Rotamon's voice reached her ears.
"Go and eat now. I'll be accompanying you as well as Vixenmon tomorrow." Cheetahmon reassured her as Lina left the cave to where Rotamon's voice had come.
***
After dinner, Lina, Ryo, and Rika had gone to go to sleep. All of the digimon were talking in one of the many caves, planning the safest route for the tamers from where they were currently to
Henry was not in the mood to sleep. He wanted answers from Kila. He wanted to know about her.
Kila had settled amongst the branches of a large tree. She had her head rested against the bark and had let her eye lids close lazily. "Hey, go to sleep already. I'm the only one who needs to be the sentry tonight," Kila said, looking down at him from her point up above.
Henry peered up at her through the darkness. "I'm not tired."
"Well, we're going pretty far. Better force yourself to sleep than be tired in the morning." Kila murmured, turning her attention back up to the sky. Very few stars peeked through the thick blanket of the night sky.
"Can I sit up by you?" Henry asked, standing up.
"Suit yourself." Kila said, sighing.
Henry easily climbed up into the tree. He sat beside her and there was silence except for the calm wind whistling softly through the trees. The wind ran through his hair like fingers.
"Sorry..."
Henry looked up, meeting black colored eyes.
"I couldn't resist." Kila offered in apology. She didn't look away. Henry had his gaze locked on her eyes.
"Resist?" Henry asked.
"I just... Never mind. Forget it." Kila looked away.
"How long have you been here?" Henry waited for an answer.
"At the caves? About three years now. In the Digital World? Probably since I was born." Kila told him.
"Is it nice here? Your family isn't here I'm guessing." Henry spoke softly.
"Family?" Kila let out a disgusted mutter. "I haven't got one of those. Nothing more than a nasty, lying witch who wants what I have. My.. talents. But, yes, it's very nice here. Without all of these beasts running around, it's been paradise. What's it like where you're from?" Kila asked, interested.
"It's nice. Kind of congested. Nice nonetheless. I like it. My friends and family are there, so, I would never be anywhere else." Henry said wistfully, suddenly thinking of his own family.
Kila smiled for a moment. "It must be sad. To miss your family and friends. I can't really sympathize much. I'm an orphan. My only family's Guar and Wolfmon."
Henry caught the girl's eyes again. He could've lost himself in those dark pools, going deep down into the her soul. Her eyes were like tunnels, light, dim as it may be, at the end, leading him somewhere. His fingers rested hesitantly upon her hand for a moment when Kila shifted.
"I heard something." She gave no more of an explanation as she leapt from the tree and landed easily on her feet. "Good night, then..." Her voice was hesitant before he heard her whisper, "Henry..." She walked away, disappearing into the trees that surrounded the caverns.
Henry sat in the tree, motionless, watching the girl leave him. Why had she pulled away? Could she be....was she... afraid?
Author's Note: I know that ending was stupid. No real Ryuki in this chapter. I will put some in next chapter. I swear on it. Thanks to everyone who already reviewed my first chapter. The reviews are much appreciated. Please review!!!